Who is sharpening YOU?

A few days ago was my birthday, I turned 37! Turning one year older has had me reflecting on who I am, who I was, and who God is making me to be. Just the other night, as I was ready to cry looking at our cluttered basement full of toys, books, etcetera that needed to be sorted and purged through, God graced me with a sacred treasure. I came across some old e-mails that my dear mother had printed from before I was married, containing a pure and relentless love for God. The tidying up could wait, for this was no small find.

Some of these letters were written by me, others by my parents or siblings, and a few by a special cousin. Each and every e-mail I read contained an outpouring of thanksgiving for what God was doing in our lives, and a rare window into our intimately individual yet inter-connected relationships with God Almighty.

Personally, God has recently been impressing upon me to seek and value true fellowship. He is reminding me of the vitality of intentional Christian relationships that breathe life into us. One of the pastors at our church last week stated that regardless of who you are with, “People should benefit from YOUR relationship with Christ.” That spoke volumes to me! I needed to be reminded that just my presence somewhere can be the way others experience HIS presence, perhaps for the first time! Our pastor was relaying this from the book of John, chapter 15:12-14 which reads, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.”

There is a unique beauty and depth of fellowship with those who are friends of God, and not all people are. I desire to reach others who don’t know the power of Christ’s love while at the same time not neglect being with those who adore Christ as I do. Friendships with other believers are the pathways in which we can sharpen one another spiritually (Proverbs 27:17).

This reflection had me thinking back to a race that I participated in a few weeks ago with my oldest son and younger brother. It was a scorching hot day that turned into a very humid, muggy night. That evening we ran a one mile race together, my son’s first “competition,” and he was ecstatic. They broke us up into three heats, or groups, and we ran according to how fast (or slow!) our mile time was. I put Luke in the first group, with runners who had mile paces around 8 minutes and 30 seconds or more, as he was still new to running and training. I decided to go in the second group, with runners whose mile pace was within 6 minutes to 8 minutes and 15 seconds.

In the end, Luke ran very well, finishing in under 8 minutes and thirty seconds, almost being the first in his heat! He was very proud, and then quickly went to grab water and join the “cheering squad” with his siblings, dad, and grandparents from the stands. When it was my turn, I ran the fastest and hardest I could, finishing in under 8 minutes which was my personal goal! Amusingly, the first thing the rest of my kids said when I came over to see them after the race was, “Mom, you were really slow!” Ha, thanks for the support, right?! I wasn’t offended though, because I knew exactly why they said it.

You see, I was up against runners who had a pace much faster than mine. To be completely frank, I had no idea how fast I could run a mile, though I knew I wouldn’t be anywhere close to 6 minutes like some of the others in my heat! In that case, why didn’t I choose to go in the first group, with my son, who came in second place? I realized that my motivation was not to win, but to finish strong, and to do that I needed to be challenged. Always seeing someone ahead of me kept me going, pushing myself beyond my physical limits. Running against others in the first heat who ran at a slower pace would have made me “look good,” but they wouldn’t have driven me to my highest potential performance. It was a trade-off to compete and appear “slow” to some! In the end I did get a gold medal for first-place in my age group, a medal that my children still take turns wearing!

All this to say, let me encourage you to seek relationships with others who can sharpen and deepen your relationship with Christ. You may have friends that are nice, and may even say they are Christians, but are they actively sharing their faith and standing for Christ? In one of the endearing letters I found last night, my cousin wrote, “Before, I was just standing alone in the middle of my friends, but now I have an army behind me to encourage me and reassure me that we are all in this together.” He was speaking of the power and joy that come from time spent with the body of Christ, meaning other believers who are passionately living for God.

Regarding the race I participated in, I wasn’t sure of my pace, but I wanted to push myself to run quicker than I thought possible. Do you have other Christians in your life that are living on mission for Christ, or are their lives just vague reflections of God? Comparing ourselves can be detrimental in both a good and bad sense. If we are only comparing our lives to those who live without Jesus as their God and Savior, the standard for our own lives will not reflect God’s potential in us. Sometimes having friends or family who make us feel like we’re “on top” can be more comfortable, but can keep us from living fully committed and surrendered each day to Our King, and His eternal purposes.

Dear ones, let us reflect THE TREE of HOPE, as healthy branches that are attached to Him, and growing together! May we intentionally seek relationships with those who have surrendered their lives to the Only Living God, and who are actively seeking His face. May YOU be a friend that others will seek out, to sharpen them in this life of faith!

Proverbs 12:26 The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Blessings to you today.